Androgenetic Alopecia and How it Affects Your Hair

Androgenetic Alopecia, also known as pattern baldness, is common in both males and females. Androgenetic Alopecia is characterized in men typically by a well-defined pattern of hair loss, often beginning above the temples and surrounding the crown of the head. The hair begins to thin and over time produces less and less hair growth. In women, Androgenetic Alopecia is characterized differently, wherein hair density becomes thinner all over the head, though the hairline itself does not recede. In males, pattern baldness can often eventually lead to complete baldness across the entire scalp, while in women this is rarely so.

A variety of factors lead to the eventual outcome of Androgenetic Alopecia; each gender also having differentiating factors contributing to the cause of the Alopecia. In both genders a variety of lifestyle factors can lead to Androgenetic Alopecia or exacerbate and speed up the process, including genetics, poor diet, excessive and consistent stress, lack of sleep and exercise.

Androgenetic Alopecia is often a genetic condition. It's effects on an individual can also differ based on ethnic background. Androgenetic Alopecia is often passed to offspring from the female mother's genetic information and can usually be predicted by studying the pattern of baldness experienced by men on the maternal side of the family.

Hair thinning has been found to be a result of crash and fad dieting, eating disorders, and an overall lack of knowledge of proper eating habits resulting in a diminished range of B-vitamins, proteins, and other dietary requirements for proper hair and scalp health. Vegetarian diets that fail to provide a proper balance of minerals usually absorbed from meat have also been found to contribute to hair thinning. Iron deficiencies such as anemia have been shown to demonstrate a profound negative effect on hair growth, as well as a lack of zinc.

Hair loss can also be triggered in both males and females by excessive daily stress, known as Telogen Effluvium. Telogen Effluvium is often experienced about three months or so after the actual stressful event occurs and is more often a temporary effect. However, if the underlying issue, or cause of the stress, is not resolved, the effects of this type of hair loss can last longer than anticipated.

In addition to stress, lack of sleep and exercise can also contribute to circumstances leading to alopecia. Altering a sleep cycle, or getting less sleep than a body needs to perform regenerating tasks can lead to hormone imbalances, improper immune function, and mental and emotional shifts. As hair is highly sensitive to changes within the body, the physical result of these actions is often the thinning or loss of hair. Likewise, a lack of exercise can also negatively impact hair growth. Aside from being a physical relief from the impacts of stress, exercise also circulates nutrients and hormones throughout the body and flushes out toxins which might negatively affect hair.

Other causes that might contribute to Androgenetic Alopecia are DHT and hormones. DHT is a male hormone that is also found in small doses in the female body. DHT bonds with hair follicles to stimulate and regulate hair growth, primarily in males. However, an excess of DHT has been found to irritate the hair follicle and cause swelling over time, resulting eventually in the affected follicles no longer being able to produce hair. Other hormones that can wreak havoc on hair growth are those associated with pregnancy, menopause, and thyroid conditions. These are often temporary, and can be controlled or balanced through medication.

Michael Stanford is a freelance writer in the nutritional industry. He has contributed research on Androgenetic Alopecia and many of the top hair loss treatments available today, as well as serving as a consultant to the supplement industry. Learn more by visiting http://www.androgeneticalopecia.org